The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. This position is located in UN Environment, Europe Office, at the Geneva duty station. The Regional Office is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of UN Environment programmes and projects in the Pan-European region to enhance the capacity of countries to integrate environmental considerations into their national development processes.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Executive Director, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

Responsibilities

1. Represent UN Environment and the Executive Director in the region.2. Review and evaluate the needs of the region and its individual countries and provide guidance to Headquarters in defining options and priorities for UN Environment policies and programmes.3. Within the mandate of the regional office, conceptualize, design and initiate environmental policies and programmes in close coordination with the substantive divisions at Headquarters. 4. Build alliances and coalitions with key partners (UN agencies, Governments, regional and national institutions and bodies, foundations, NGOs, and the private sector) to enlist their support and involvement in UN Environment regional and national project development, funding and implementation.5. Ensure the smooth functioning of the regional office, including its sub-regional, country and liaison offices in the region, overseeing assigned staff and their performance; prepare and monitor the budget for the office including extra-budgetary contributions. 6. Raise UN Environment profile through media relations and targeted public information/outreach activities. 7. Undertake resource mobilisation, both financial and in-kind, from key Governments, regional organisations and partners including foundations and the private sector. 8. Negotiate, plan and convene high level meetings in the region to encourage governments to agree on a common approach to environmental problems. 9. Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

- Professionalism: Knowledge of inter-governmental and inter-agency negotiations and networking functions; Ability to analyze environmental, political and economic and social developments and provide technical and substantive support in the field of environmental policy development. Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

- Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: Empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; Drives for change and improvements; Does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; Demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

- Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; Appraises performance fairly.

- Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

Advanced university degree in International Relations, Economics, Environmental Studies, Law, Social Sciences, Political Science, Management, or related area. A first level university degree in combination with two additional two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of political affairs, management of environmental, scientific, economic work, or policy development. International experience in a multi-cultural setting is required. 5 years at the international levels and 3 years in a supervisory capacity is required. Experience in resource mobilization, and partnerships building, including at the highest level of Government, with foundations and businesses, is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of French and/or another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is open for recruitment for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations as a Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.